BARCELONA

Why is Barcelona worth a visit?

Since the Summer Olympics in 1992, Barcelona has experienced an almost unbelievable upswing and within two decades has become one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. Meanwhile, the Catalan capital even outperforms Madrid in terms of overnight stays. No wonder, with such an attractive location at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, wonderful historical and modern architecture, an outstanding museum landscape, a rich art and cultural offering, countless party possibilities and of course excellent food and great weather.

Here are our top 10 reasons to travel to Barcelona:

1 Barcelona is a vibrant metropolis. Hardly any other city in Europe has developed as rapidly as the Catalan capital in the last decades.

2. Barcelona is a Mecca for architecture fans with a unique combination of a medieval city center and more modern architecture, especially Catalan Art Nouveau, in the remaining districts.

3. Barcelona has many excellent art and science museums to visit.

4. Barcelona is known for its extraordinary sights. From the daring Port Vell Aerial Tramway to the world famous Parc Güell and the nostalgic Tibidabo Amusement Park – Barcelona has many unique attractions.

5 Barcelona is a city at the water and with a beach. No other metropolis in Europa can offer this combination of pleasant water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea (at least in summer) and beaches in the city center.

6. Barcelona is a photogenic city. This is not only because of its great architecture, but also because the city is surrounded by mountains and therefore has wonderful viewpoints.

7. Barcelona impresses with excellent weather. With the exception of the winter months, when it gets a little cooler here too, the Catalan capital has a wonderfully sunny climate with pleasant temperatures.

8. Excellent soccer is played in Barcelona. The FC Barcelona is probably the most legendary club in the world and its stadium, the Camp Nou, is a first class soccer temple.

9. In Barcelona you can eat really well. The many restaurants and tapas bars in front of the wonderful historical scenery of the city are worth a trip alone.

10. Barcelona has a lot of flair. Can’t be described – just fly there and experience for yourself.

For whom is Barcelona worth a visit?

Architecture buffs:

Barcelona is a wonderful architectural mix of a medieval city center and later style epochs in the surrounding neighborhoods. Especially lovers of the Catalan Art Nouveau (Modernisme) will get their money’s worth.

Museum visitors:

Barcelona belongs to the museum metropolises of Europe. With the Fundació Joan Miró, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and the Museu Picasso, the city has some of the best museums for old and contemporary art in Europe.

Gaudí fans:

The most famous Catalan architect is omnipresent in Barcelona. From his fancy houses, such as Casa Batllò, Casa Milà and Palau Güell, to the world famous Parc Güell and his masterpiece, the Basilica Sagrada Família, you can spend many days with Gaudí’s distinctive buildings.

City beach fans:

There are only a few large cities in Europe that are located by the sea and at the same time have beautiful city beaches. Barcelona has this great combination to offer.

Soccer fans:

It’s not really news that Barcelona is the home of great soccer. For decades FC Barcelona has been one of the best that world soccer has to offer. And a tour through the legendary Camp Nou stadium is an unforgettable experience for soccer fans (no matter which club).

Tapas fans:

When it comes to good bars and restaurants, Barcelona offers a wide range of choices. And what makes eating out in the Catalan capital even more enjoyable is the beautiful historical setting that surrounds you in most of the restaurants.

Cable car drivers:

Cable cars are rather rare in big cities – not so in Barcelona. The capital of Catalonia has several of them. The most spectacular one is certainly the Port Vell Aerial Tramway, which leads from the port up to the local mountain Montjuïc.

Families and children:

And last but not least, Barcelona is a great destination with children. The zoo, the aquarium, the open-air museum Poble Espanyol, the Tibidabo Amusement Park and many other attractions make every child’s heart beat faster.

Best time to travel

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Barcelona is a great destination at any time of the year. At what time of the year you travel to the Catalan capital depends a little bit on what you have in mind. Due to its location at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the city has a Mediterranean climate, warm in summer and humid in winter. The warmest months are July and August. Then the weather in the metropolis can become quite hot and oppressive (as a “compensation” you can of course go to the beach). In winter, however, it can also get quite fresh in Barcelona. If you come to the city because of the many great museums, you should consider a winter trip. Then Barcelona is much less crowded and also much cheaper than in the rest of the year. However, the ideal travel season for most people will be spring and fall, when it is usually sunny with very pleasant temperatures.

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Getting there

By car

It is not particularly advisable to travel to Barcelona by car. On the one hand, it is more than 1,000 kilometers from Germany and Austria (a little less from Switzerland). And on the other hand, Barcelona is an excellent place to “hike” and can be discovered very well by public transport.

By train:

By train the journey to Barcelona from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is rather arduous due to the relatively long journey.

By plane:

From Barcelona’s large international airport there are several daily connections to all major airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In addition, the airport of Girona is not far from Barcelona, which is mainly served by budget airlines. From Girona there are flights to Baden-Baden, Bremen, Frankfurt/Hahn, Frankfurt/Main and Memmingen.

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Shopping

In recent years Barcelona has developed into one of the shopping metropolises of Europe. And the best thing is that in Barcelona you can wonderfully combine shopping and sightseeing. There is in fact the so-called “Barcelona Shopping Line”, which runs for over five kilometers through the city center and along which hundreds of stores, department stores and shopping malls are located.

The shopping line starts at the port, runs along the famous Rambla to the central Plaça Catalunya, from there along the magnificent Boulvevard Passeig de Gràcia to the Avinguda Diagonal and finally continues almost to the FC Barcelona stadium, the Camp Nou.

The beginning of the Barcelona Shopping Line is marked by the widely visible shopping center Maremàgnum at the old port Port Vell. The Maremàgnum offers a great combination of different stores and a wonderful view of the port, the old town and the local mountain Montjuïc.

From there, the tour continues via the world-famous Boulvard La Rambla to the central square in the center of Barcelona, the Plaça Catalunya. On the Rambla, strollers experience a very special atmosphere that is characterized by numerous street artists, painters and kiosks. The Rambla itself is not a special shopping street, unless you need flowers, magazines or a souvenir.

But definitely worth a stopover is the Mercat de la Boqueria at about half height of the Rambla. It is the best known, most beautiful and largest market in the city. At the many food stalls not only the sense of taste is stimulated, but also the eyes eat with the wonderful presentation of the goods.

Those who stroll along the Rambla should also make a detour every now and then to the small alleys of the two neighboring old town quarters Barri Gòtic (to the north) and El Raval (to the south). There are many small, traditional stores to discover here – from aniquarians to bookshops and delicatessens. Admittedly, sometimes a bit old-fashioned and dusty, but always with a charm of their own. If you are looking for a traditional souvenir from Barcelona, you will certainly find it in the stores of the old town. El Raval is especially known for its alternative fashion stores and second-hand stores.

The Rambla ends at Barcelona’s central square, the Plaça Catalunya. This is where the city’s great shopping temples are located. On the west side of the square is the large shopping center El Triangle and on the east side El Corte Inglès, the largest department store in the center of Barcelona.

At the Plaça Catalunya begins Barcelona’s most luxurious shopping mile – the Passeig de Gràcia. From Boss to Rolex to Versace, this is the home of fashion, watch, jewelry and design brands that demand a slightly thicker wallet. The Rambla de Catalunya, which runs parallel to Passeig de Gràcia, is also a popular shopping street.

The Passeig de Gràcia leads to the Avinguda Diagonal, Barcelona’s longest street. It is known above all for its shopping centers. At Plaça Francesc Macià there is a mall and a department store of the chain El Corte Inglès and also at Plaça Reina Maria Cristina there are two malls and another branch of El Corte Inglès.

Of course, there are also some more good shopping opportunities in the Catalan capital off the Barcelona Shopping Line. First of all, the Carrer de la Creu Coberta, which starts at the Plaça d’Espanya, and its extension, the Carrer de Sants, are worth mentioning. With more than 500 stores along four kilometers, it holds the title of Barcelona’s longest shopping street, so to speak. On Plaça d’Espanya, by the way, there is another interesting shopping temple, namely the former bullring, which has meanwhile been converted into the Arenas de Barcelona shopping center.

If you have already exhausted your travel budget and still want to shop, you should make your way to the outlet center La Roca Village, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona. In this small “shopping village” you can expect a discount of over 50% on branded goods. If you don’t have a car, you can also take the Shopping Express Outlet Bus (departing from the beginning of Passeig de Gràcia, in the immediate vicinity of Plaça Catalunya).

Food and drink

Those who travel to Barcelona will get a taste of Catalan cuisine – it is one of the best in Spain. In Barcleona you should not make the mistake of being “fobbed off” in any international tourist restaurants for too much money, but rather visit places with traditional Spanish or Catalan cuisine. From meat and sausage to cheese and fish, Catalonia’s cuisine offers a wide range of dishes and of course the tapas (which actually come from Andalusia) have become an integral part of Barcelona’s gastronomic scene.

As generally in Spain, people in Barcelona eat relatively late. Lunch is usually not taken before 2 p.m. and in the evening, one sits down at the table only after 9 p.m. If you want to save money on food, you should go for lunch. Most of the restaurants and cafés offer a so-called “menú del día”, which consists of a starter, main course and dessert and is often available for 8 to 10 euros.

As far as drinking is concerned, Catalonia is a wine country where both very good white wines and red wines are grown. Drink local therefore pays off. Those who want to do the same as the Catalans order cafè i copes after dinner, by the way, a coffee accompanied by a glass of cognac, schnapps or liqueur. Moreover, it should be mentioned that in Barcelona, one likes to stay at the table after the meal. After all, for Catalans, a meal is not only a mere intake of food, but always an opportunity for entertainment and shared enjoyment.

Nightlife and entertainment

Barcelona has developed into one of the most popular party metropolises in Europe in the last decades. Tourists from all over the world take advantage of the many (cheap) flight possibilities to dive into the exciting and varied nightlife of the city by the Mediterranean Sea. In Barcelona you can very well turn night into day.

If you want to enjoy the nightlife and the party scene of Barcelona, you should have had an extensive siesta before. The reason being that before two o’clock at night hardly anyone shows up in one of the clubs. Barcelona’s club and music scene offers something for every taste. Whether disco, house, techno, punk rock – there is a club (or evening) for practically every style of music. Very well known and popular are the salsa bars of the city, which often have a very special party atmosphere.

If you don’t want to dance, but rather go for a drink, Barcelona also has a lot to offer. From cozy little taverns to stylish cocktail bars, from Irish pubs to German beer pubs, you can really find everything here.

And those who prefer to travel in a more “high culture” way will find an excellent concert, theater and opera scene in Barcelona. The Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Palau de la Música Catalana are just the tip of the iceberg.